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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · rash · degree · object · club · firm · perch · bat

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bat — the animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bulb — for light
  7. club — for golf
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — hasty
  12. club — a group
  13. rash — a series
  14. firm — a company
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. firm — steady
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bat — in an idiom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com